Man's Best Friend
by Eight Horcrux
Summary: Remus has agreed to take Sirius on a late night walk and they bump into an unexpected potion master in muggle London, whose hiding some secrets of his own.
1. I

_I've been craving some Snupin lately so this happened. It won't be very long, just a few chapters to satisfy my needs and hopefully yours! It is set around Order of the Phoenix and somewhat AU._

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Remus _hated _walking at night. It was the horrid moonlight and the dreary estates of muggle London that set him on the edge. Every few feet or so something would scurry from beneath the upturned rubbish and the giant black shaggy dog next to him would bark wildly.

"Padfoot, give it a rest!" he snapped, kicking his leg out and missing the dogs behind. Padfoot barked in response and Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm not afraid of the dark. I just don't like…rats."

Padfoot gave him a shrewd look and crossed the quiet street to sniff around a series of white fencing. He dug is nose to the floor, snorting noisily when a weed tickled his nostril. He had persuaded Remus not long ago to take him out at night, promising that he'd stay transformed and that the fresh air would do them both good.

"_Don't. even. do it!_" Remus warned when he saw the dog cock his back leg against the corner of the fence. "That's someone's house. You can't just pee all over it!"

"Come on," he grumbled, nudging him along with his foot. "You know, you're lucky I bring you out at all after the last time! That cat was minding its own business before you got in the way. Imagine if that were _McGonagall_ on watch or something!"

Padfoot snorted, raising his tail higher and set into a trot through the neighbourhood. He wouldn't dignify Remus' paranoia with a response, certainly not when there was an enjoyable looking pile of freshly raked leaves just ahead.

"Oh Christ, not the leaves," Remus whined, clenching his eyes when he heard the dog land noisily into them. Padfoot was jumping in circles, destroying the once perfect pile and strewing leaves all over the footpath. "Pads…"

The dog froze, tail erect and tongue lolling. He barked at Remus and continued to jump, rolling onto his back and wiggling into the pile. A light flicked on in the porch of the house opposite and an elderly man opened his door, spewing incoherent roars and waving his stick.

"Hooligans!" he yelled, brandishing his cane and banging it against the decking. "Call the police – vandals!"

Padfoot leapt up from the pile of leaves and pulled his front paws onto the man's gate, barking noisily. "Sorry, sir!" Remus cried, elbowing Sirius in the head. Lights switched on in neighbouring homes and he could hear doors opening and voices from windows. "He's just a little… for fuck sake, Sirius – _run_!"

The two bolted down the street, Sirius leaping joyfully every few feet and Remus swearing he was going to have the bastard neutered first thing in the morning. The commotion behind them subsided eventually, and just when Remus thought they were safe, he barrelled straight into a hard figure, knocking them both to the ground.

_Brilliant, just wonderful. _He had broken Dumbledore's strict orders, disrupted an entire neighbourhood, probably given that old man heart failure and now he was lying face down on top of some stranger. Padfoot barked loudly alongside him, growling viciously and nudged him with his snout.

"Shut up, Padfoot! I am _so _sorry," he spluttered, trying to move off the person but had become tangled in his coat. "My dog got off his lead and I had to chase him down. We-I didn't see you coming – _stop barking, Padfoot_!"

Remus shifted himself away from the person; his knee jerked a little too high and connected with the sensitive spot between the man's legs. The stranger grunted, coughing harshly and rolled away from him.

"Oh shit! I didn't mean – SIRIUS WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE!" he bellowed, pushing himself to his knees.

"Lupin!"

Remus froze, his hand tangled amidst the fur on Sirius' head. _Oh fuck. _He peered cautiously to the right and his suspicions were confirmed when the pale, dark haired, hook nosed snarky Professor Snape glared back at him. His cheeks were slightly flushed when he pushed himself into a sitting position, and his hand immediately flew between his legs to grasp the pained spot.

"Severus?

"You insolent wolf!" Severus snarled, his face contorted with pain and fury.

"I didn't see you," Remus murmured. His brows knitted with confusion; why was Severus Snape wondering through London in muggle attire? _Not that it doesn't suit him,_ he thought. The charcoal coat and pants actually suited his character much better than the billowing robes he customary wore. "Sirius stop will y-" He cringed; Snape had seen Sirius and would surely tell Dumbledore.

Beside him Padfoot had settled on his haunches eyeing Snape cautiously and deciding the wizard wasn't a threat in his current state. Remus was sure if dogs could smirk that the biggest grin of them all would be plastered across Sirius' face. "Severus…look-"

"Seize your blabbering, Lupin," hissed Severus, pushing himself to a standing position and brushing his coat clean. "Out for an unauthorized walk in the moonlight? Professor Dumbledore wouldn't be happy to hear; particularly after your little jaunt in September when Lucius Malfoy saw _you_, mutt." Sirius growled, leaning back on his rear. "As usual Lupin, you're too weak to resist the pressure – pathetic!"

Severus turned with a quick sneer and apparated, leaving man and dog staring into thin air. Remus felt a burning shame in his chest; he didn't hate the man, in fact he had grown quite fond of Snape's presence at Order Meetings, and he was more than accustom to his sharp tongue. But the truth hurt and typical of Snape, he spoke the truth – _I am weak. I should have stood my ground. I shouldn't have taken Sirius out. _

A warm tongue across his palm roused him and he absentmindedly stroked Sirius' head. "Come on, Sirius. Let's go home," he mumbled, ruffling the dogs head.

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_Thanks for reading guys. It's much appreciated. _


	2. II

_Thank you to my readers and subscribers. Your interest is always appreciated. I'm watching Night At The Museum, you know, Robin Williams? I miss that man's talents so much already. _

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Slipping from the shaggy cardigan with a profound sigh, Remus closed his eyes and tried to will the thoughts away. _You're too weak…' _ He folded it over the bed and sunk against the mattress, peeling his vest from his pasty skin. They had hurried back to Islington; or rather Remus had power-walked while Sirius had tried to coax his humour. There had been an opportunity to lash out at some youths, who had shouted insults after them, but his mind weighed too heavily and he had forced Sirius past them.

'_Pathetic'._

It was true; when he sat back and scrutinised himself and his past, Snape was right – he was pathetic. His entire schooling was spent disapproving silently from a distance while his friends had tormented innocent people. _Snape was far from innocent, _he heard Sirius' words echo in his mind. He was right of course, Snape was never far off with a hex or a prank of his own, but Snape never instigated that war, he was acquitted of that much.

"Idiot," he growled, falling against the sheets and palming his weary eyes.

His adult life was a shamble. Remus was willing to admit that to anyone who was too blind to see it for themselves. Before being hired and subsequently firing himself from the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, he had flitted between odd jobs suited to his low standards: cleaning, waiting, paper routes. After Hogwarts he depended on muggle welfare to survive, picking up relief work where he could and wallowing in his own pity. Then Sirius arrived and that's when he became even stupider than he had been as a boy.

"Remus, are you in there?" Sirius called from outside his bedroom door. _You know I'm in here, _Remus' mind snarled

Ignoring him, he closed his eyes against the darkness that drove him insane. Remus didn't like the dark; ever since he had been a child darkness scared him and he actively avoided being too close to it. It made for much inconvenience considering he was too old for a night light and too old to be afraid of the dark, he reminded himself angrily.

"Well, when you come out, I've got a round of chess ready and a few tumblers of scotch." He heard Sirius' feet on the stairs and threw his pillow at the door. _Bastard._

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His rooms were cold when he arrived back to Hogwarts; that's what he got for ordering the house elves away after 7pm. Shooting a sharp glare at the grate it erupted with flames, throwing an amber glow across his small living space. It was good to be somewhere familiar again, even if it was Hogwarts. Not that he hated Hogwarts, in fact it was the only thing he had ever had gratitude for, albeit it was a very twisted thanks. Without this castle and these walls he would have rotted in Spinners End; surely taking after his drunken father and miserable mother. But if it weren't for this castle, he would never have this wretched blemish on his arm.

He grimaced when he caught site of it in the mirror, gleaming boldly back at him against the pale flesh of his forearm. Then he looked up and caught sight of his blood shot eyes, heavy with whisky induced exhaustion; a smirk crossed his lips. There were some things he still had control over – _take that Dumbledore. _Falling heavily onto his bed, pants and belt still on his body, Severus couldn't stop his mind straying to the wolf and dog. A scowl pierced the canopy above his head; typical of them to be breaking rules, he thought. _Putting the _entire _cause in jeopardy with their little jaunt; how could Lupin be so irresponsible? Black, oh yes, this was too typical of Black; why else would Dumbledore have him under house arrest so strictly? Assholes! And Lupin… forever being a weak minded, insolent little- stop it! Clear your mind; walls up. _

With a heavy sigh, he rolled onto his side and buried the thoughts of wrought iron gates, forgotten tombs and headstones.

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"Glad to see you show your face again," Sirius smirked the following morning, pouring a mug of coffee and sliding it across the table.

Remus snorted, accepting it regardless and allowed the heated cup warm his fingers. It was getting cold around the house; there was a fire in each room but neither of them stuck to one place long enough to light any of them.

"What's got your wand in a twist?" Sirius asked from behind The Daily Prophet, then snorted and jabbed his finger at the centre of the paper before Remus could even consider answering. "That Skeeter skank is back in action I see."

"Oh yeah?" he asked not entirely interested, watching the paper fold around Sirius' aggressive jab.

"There's a fine line between reporting and stalking, you know? She's been all over Harry like the mould in this house – she's everywhere!"

"That's pretty much her jobs description, Sirius. She's a reporter."

"I know what she is," grumbled Sirius, tossing the paper behind him and into the grate. "Remind me to burn that pile of trash later."

"Sure," he mumbled, concealing his scowl behind his cup. _About my wand being twisted, you know, because you asked and all…it's because of you. Just so you know._

"What are we doing for Halloween then?" asked Sirius, stretching back in the chair. "I was thinking of inviting Harry around for a few socials, you in?"

"A few socials? He's 15, Sirius."

"I know how old he is!"

"Then a few socials isn't something he'd be interested in," Remus explained calmly, curbing the argument before it could brew. "Teenagers like butterbeer and music and gossip, all of which I'm sure we can provide."

"Right well, I'm sure he'll let me know himself what he wants."

They sat in silence a moment longer; Remus battled the inner nag to confront Sirius about the night before. His old friend – _only friend_ – was important to him; Sirius was all he had in life now, but sometimes he wondered if that was a curse rather than a blessing. Years of being detained had left its mark on the man opposite him; there were days when he would withdraw totally, only resurfacing when he had drank the house dry. If he wasn't sulking in his room with Buckbeak, he was wondering the house aimlessly, opening doors and wallowing in his memories.

'_You're too weak.'_

Snape's words echoed in his mind. Remus tried to shake them away but the image of the surly man kept reappearing. What was he doing walking around London so late at night?

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_Comments are appreciated. _


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